Additional SARS resources

Published On:

April 3, 2003

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ANN ARBOR—While many questions remain unanswered about Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, University of Michigan experts are available to help understand what is known about SARS, the process of solving the remaining mysteries and how the public should respond to this public health threat. · Arnold Monto, professor of epidemiology at U-M School of Public Health. Monto specializes in respiratory and enteric viruses and infectious diseases in developing countries, and is interested in how diseases are transmitted internationally. Much of his research focuses on influenza and the common cold, and he is interested in such issues as the potential for a pandemic influenza outbreak.

Profile: http://www.sph.umich.edu/faculty/asmonto.html

Contact: (734) 764-5453 or asmonto@umich.edu · Rosemarie Rowney, lecturer in nursing and director of training for the U-M Bioterrorism Preparedness Initiative. Rowney can speak to the local health department role in communicable disease outbreak control, the importance of health care providers reporting communicable disease to government public health authorities, and the “dual use” training done by the U-M Academic Center for Public Health Preparedness, which is useful both in dealing with bioterrorism and emerging infectious diseases.
Profile: http://www.nursing.umich.edu/faculty/rowney_rosemarie.html
Contact: (734) 647-4308 or rrowney@umich.edu · Mark L. Wilson, associate professor of epidemiology, can discuss the ecology and environmental determinants of infectious disease, meaning how and why it acts as it does.
Profile: http://www.sph.umich.edu/faculty/wilsonml.html
Contact: (734) 764-7260 to arrange interviews · James Koopman, professor of epidemiology. Koopman specializes in infection flow through populations and the effects of control measures on the spread of infection. He develops computer models to help understand what causes infections to spread, to help decide how to control their transmission, and to determine what new data collection is needed to make control decisions. He is interested in issues of international travel, wearing masks, and closing public events as means of controlling infection spread.
Profile: http://www.sph.umich.edu/faculty/jkoopman.html
Contact: (734) 763-5629 or jkoopman@umich.edu · Robert Winfield, director of University Health Service, which offers comprehensive outpatient medical services to students, faculty, staff and alumni. “The Health Service has prepared procedures for identifying and handling individuals at risk with SARS, including appropriate protection and isolation from other patients and staff in accord with CDC guidelines and recommendations. The procedures should be in place by the end of the week.”
Background on UHS: http://www.uhs.umich.edu/
Contact: (734) 763-6880 rwinf@umich.edu · Matthew Boulton, clinical associate professor of epidemiology, and state epidemiologist with the Michigan Department of Community Health. Boulton’s state office is responsible for communicable disease surveillance and control, among other public health functions. He is working on SARS issues for the state.
Profile: http://www.sph.umich.edu/faculty/mboulton.html
Contact: (734) 936-1623 or Lansing office: (517) 335-8900
Note: Until April 5, Boulton is at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the annual Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer conference, where original research into SARS is being presented. · Gregory V. Button, adjunct professor of health behavior and health education, School of Public Health. Button’s interests are disaster preparedness and response, risk communications, psychosocial effects of intentional disasters, and he can give interviews on how the public perceives unfamiliar risks, such as SARS or anthrax poisoning, as compared to familiar risks, like heart attack or car crashes.
Contact: (734) 663-5576 gvbutton@earthlink.net